A Meditation on Simplicity

Debra Seido MartinIt is a frequent modern lament that our lives feel packed with competing demands and are complicated to the point of overwhelm. For lay Buddhists, this can seem like far cry from Buddha’s example of living with only a robe and a begging bowl. Zen rituals distill teachings down to their essence and focus the mind on the moment at hand with nothing extra. As lay people caring for our work and family, how does the simplicity we learn in practice inform us about the role of simplicity in our everyday choices? In this talk, Seido explores the function of simplicity and complexity in modern Buddhist practice and the mind that motivates our choices.